Romania’s Regional Policy: Programming and Financial Instruments

Abstract

The paper aims at surveying the implementation of the national policy of regional development, achieved in concord with Romania’s development objectives and general priorities, as well as the objectives of EU in the area of economic and social cohesion. The implementation of regional policy is achieved by programming instruments (the National Reference Strategic Framework and the National Development Plan) aiming at turning into practice the economic and social development strategies and activating the European financial instruments in view of maximizing the benefits brought by the European cohesion policies. The National Reference Strategic Framework negotiates the state access to the structural and cohesion funds, while the National Development Plan 2007-2013 focuses on reducing the development imbalance between Romania and the member states of EU, in view of raising the GDP per capita.